Invisible slide fastener



Oct. 27, 1964 L. H. MORIN INVISIBLE SLIDE FASTENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Feb. 9, 1962 INVENTOR. Lou/5 H. MoR/N HTTORNEY Oct. 27, 1964 L. H.MORIN 3,153,830

INVISIBLE SLIDE FASTENER Filed Feb. 9, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.Lou/5 H. MOE/N HTTORNEY United States Patent 3,153,830 EIVlSIBLE SLIDEFASTEN'ER Louis H. Morin, Bronx, N3. (125 Beechwood Ave., New Rochelle,NFL) Filed Feb. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 172,312 1 Claim. (Cl. 24-2651) Thisinvention relates to separable fasteners of the invisible-type, that isto say, wherein coupled scoops of a fastener are covered on one surfacethereof and, wherein, two similar stringers can be utilized in formingthe fastener and, still further, wherein the scoops are of a doubleaction-type adapting the arrangement of sliders to move in bothdirections on the stringers in coupling and uncoupling the same.

More particularly, the invention deals in a method of producingfasteners of the character described by the use of a simple andeconomical die structure and, further, wherein the scoops embrace alarger portion of the stringer tapes which will result in a strongerscoop anchorage and geater degree of flexibility.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from thefollowing description, when taken together with the accompanyingdrawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosedand, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable referencechaacters in each of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged diagrammatic sectional view through coupledstringers, indicating attachment of the t1. pes thereof to suitablesupports and also showing part of a slider in cross-section, the sectionthrough the stringers being on the line 1-1 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic plan view illustrating two scoops ofone stringer and a single scoop of the companion stringer in coupledrelationship to each other, the precise contour of the scoops being onlyoutlined in order to simplify the illustration.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the scoop of a stringer looking in thedirection of the coupling end portion of the scoop, with the tapestructure broken away.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic sectional view through a pair of dies forforming scoops according to my invention, the section being through thecentral portion of the scoop as formed in the dies and diagrammaticallyillustrating part of the tape feed for movement of the stringer taperelatively to the dies, when in open position.

HG. 5 is a section, substantially on the line 55 of FIG. 4, omittingpart of the construction of the dies.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, taken substantially on the line 66of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to PEG. 5 and 6, taken on the broken line '77of FIG. 4 and omitting part of the construction.

in illustrating one adaptation and use of my invention, I have shown, inH85. 1 to 3, inclusive, one type of scoop structure applied to stringersin accordance with the method later described and, in this illustration,what are generally known as double action scoops are illustrated. Scoopsof this type and kind facilitate operation of sliders in both directionson the stringers to couple and uncouple the same. Further, a singlestringer structure is formed and two similar structures are coupledtogether in forming the resulting fastener.

Considering FIGS. 1 and 2, it), ill illustrate parts of two similarstringer tapes, having beaded edges 11, ll which, in the resultingfastener, are widely spaced from the plane of the portions of the tapesiii, 1%), to which the supports 12, 12 are attached, as by thestitchings 13, 13'. In formation of the stringers, as later described,the tapes will include, adjacent the beads 11, 11, acute angular offsetportions 14, 14- which join the tapes in abutting edge portions 15, 15',as clearly illustrated in ice FIG. 1 of the drawing. The beads 11, 11can be of any cross-sectional contour. However, in the presentillustration, they are substantially square in cross-sectional form. l4,14 may be said to comprise a scoop engaging portion.

At l6, 16' are shown the scoops of two stringers and, in FIG. 2, one ofthe scoops l6 only is shown and two of the scoops in are shown toillustrate diagrammatically the general engagement of the scoops of bothstringers. Each scoop has an inner wide mounting portion 17, 17'arranged, for the most part, on one surface of the stringer tape, theseportions having a reduced part 13, 18 extending over the beads ll, lit.The other outer mounting portion 19, l? is generally of the width of thereduced part 13, 13, as will clearly appear from a consideration of FIG.2 of the drawing, and is disposed upon the other surface of the tape andbead, as will clearly appear in the showing of 19 in FIG. 1 of thedrawing. 1?, i9 are generally triangular in crosssectional contour andextend integrally with part of l8, 1% and also with part of the couplingend portion 22', 25) of the scoops, which again will clearly appear froma consideration of FIG. 4- of the drawing. It will also be noted, from aconsideration of FIG. 1, that the exposed surface of conforms to andfits snugly upon the surface of 14- and ii and, of course, the same istrue with the arrangement of 1d and 11 upon the corresponding surface of19 when the stringers are coupled together.

The coupling end portions 2 5, 2% are generally of the contour outlinedin FIG. 2 and shown in F1. 3. in the latter figure, the scoop in isshown by way of illustration. As viewed in plan, the coupling endportion has flared sides 21, 21', which form the coupling heads of thescoops, inner ends of the heads having inwardly bevelled surfaces 22,22' which form the female coupling portions of the scoops engaged by theheads, as will clearly appear in FIG. 2, to retain the stringers againstseparation. A large clearance is shown between the scoops simply toillustrate that slight clearances are provided for free couplingengagement between the scoops in the normal size of the scoops of thestringers.

Upper and lower surfaces of the heads are contracted, as clearly notedat 23, 23 in EEG. 1 of the drawing. This provides free couplingengagement of the scoops beyond the beads 11, ll of the stringers, aswill clearly appear. The wide portions l7, l7 join the reduced parts 1%,1% in shoulders 24, 24. These shoulders are indicated in dotted lines onthe scoops In; of FIG. 3 of the drawing.

It will appear, from a consideration of FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing,that the outer contracted extremities 25, 25 of the coupling heads ofthe scoops overlie the beads ll, 11, respectively, and this, incombination with 19 overlying l4 and 19' overlying 14, further retainsthe coupled stringers against separation.

in FIG. 1 of the drawing, 1 have diagrammatically shown at 25 a sectionthrough the contracted end of a slider to illustrate engagement of therounded flanged walls 27 of the slider with the rounded surfaces of 1",i8; l7, 18 of the scoops. it will be understood that the slider will beof a structure facilitating coupling and uncoupling of the scoops of thestringer, as with other fastener devices of this type and kind.

Turning now to FIGS. 4 to 7, inclusive, 1 have here diagrammaticallyillustrated the method of forming scoops on stringers, such as shown inFEGS. l to 3, inclusive, and, while the showing in these figures dealswith the formation of a single scoop, it will be understood that groupsof scoops, or scoop increments, can be formed in the manner well knownin the art. In these figures, reference will be made to the scoops 16 byway of illustration.

23 and 29 illustrate the two dies. 28' and 29' diagrammaticallyillustrate the water cooling passages for the dies and on the abuttingsurfaces of the dies are the cavities for reception of the tape 10 andits beaded edge 11. The die 28 has cavity portions 30, 31 alsoillustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawing which form 19 and the head,including the Surfaces 21, outer extremity 25, as well as the contractedsurfaces 23 of the head. The die 29 includes cavity portions 32 whichform 18 and 33 which form 17, as also illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7, inclsive. Considering FIG. 6 of the drawing, it will appear that the cavityportion 32 includes, at its outer surface, bevelled wall portions 34,note FIG. 6, which form the surface 22, namely the female couplingpoflions of the scoops. Along the section FIG. 6, the dies have abuttingsurfaces, as at 35, and, in this figure, I have indicated in dottedlines at 36 other abutting surfaces, which would be at the bottom of thedies, as shown in FIG. 4, and these surfaces, together with the surface37, indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 4 and extending from the head 11to the parting line or surface 36, are the only surfaces that wouldrequire finished grinding, where the cavity portions of the dies areotherwise formed from powder metallurgy. This method is known in thisart and results in a very economical die cost, as compared with the moreor less conventional methods.

In FIG. 4 of the drawing, I have indicated, in part, at 38, the nozzle,through which the casting material is injected into the die cavities and39 represents the sprue, which is later trimmed from the scoop informing the resulting scoop structure. At 40 are illustrated a pair ofgripper fingers for gripping the tape in feed of the tape relatively tothe dies when in open position in bringing the next sectional portion ofthe tape between the dies in forming the next cast increment of scoopsin producing the desired stringer length. It will appear, from aconsideration of FIGS. 4, 5 and 7, that the side parts 41 of the die 28and the part 42, FIG. 4, together with the parts 43, FIG. 5, and theparts 43, FIG. 7, only one of which is shown, collectively support thetape 1% including the head 11 in the position of FIG. 4 for casting thescoop structure therearound. It will be understood with regard to theportion 42 of the die 29 that the die 28 also aids in maintaining thetape in position. It will clearly appear, from a consideration of FIG.5, that the side parts 41 of the die 28 will extend into the die 29beyond the parting line 36. In like manner, the sides of the die 29extend slightly into the die 28 in forming the parting line 45, asclearly noted in FIG. 6 of the drawing.

By reason of the employment of thetwo mounting portions 17 and 19, thescoop is securely attached to not only the bead, but to a material partof the tape, as at 14, in securely attaching the scoops to the tape, itbeing understood that the castor molded material extends into theinterstices of the braid. It will also be apparent that, when thestringers are attached to the supports, as at 12, 12' of FIG. 1 of thedrawing, the stringers and scoops will be completely covered or, inother words, concealed.

Considering FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawing, it will be apparent that thestrin er tape, with its beaded edge, is arranged angularly to thelongitudinal plane of engagement of the scoops one with the other. Inother words,

the angularity of 14 or 14 is substantially 45 to this plane ofengagement, which is one of the distinctive fea tures of my fastenerconstruction. In addition to this, another distinctive feature residesin the fact that part of the mounting portion of the scoop, as, forexample, the part 19, 19, extends a major portion of the length of thecoupling end portions of the scoops formed by the surfaces 21, 22, 21',22'. This will clearly appear from a consideration of FIGS. 1 and 2 ofthe drawing. In other words, 19, 19 may be said to comprise portionsreinforcing the coupling end portions of the scoops.

For purposes of description, it will appear, from a consideration ofFIG. 1, that the coupling end portions of the scoops may be said to bespaced from and arranged in a plane generally parallel to the plane ofthe attaching portions of the stringers or, in other words, the parts ofthe stringers to which the supports 12, 12' are secured. It may also besaid that the outer mounting portions 19, 19 project beyond abuttingportions of the stringer tapes when the stringers are coupled together.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desired tosecured by Letters Patent is:

An invisible separable fastener of the character defined comprising apair of stringers, each stringer comprising a tape having a bead at oneedge, the bead joining the attaching portion of the tape in an acuteangular scoop engaging portion, scoops fixed to and spacedlongitudinally of the stringer, each scoop having an inner wide mountingportion and an outer mounting portion, said mounting portions engagingthe bead and said acute angular portion of the tape, means on said outermounting portion of a scoop on one tape adapted when said pair ofstringers is engaged to engage and support the bead and angular scoopengaging portion of a companion stringer, the wide mounting portionincluding a reduced part extending over said bead, said reduced partterminating in a coupling end portion including male and femaleportions, and said coupling end portion, for the most part, overlyingthe outer mounting portion of said scoop and engaged scoops having asubstantially oval shaped cross section in a plane at right angles tothe longitudinal axis of said fastener and said outer mounting portionof each scoop having a substantially triangular cross section in thesame plane filling the space between oppositely disposed angularengaging portions of said tapes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

